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At the same time though, 3 of the 5 largest companies in the US have CEOs with a background in software development/computer science. 5 years ago, 0 of 10 did.

At the same time though, 3 of the 5 largest companies in the US have CEOs with a background in software development/computer science. 5 years ago, 0 of 10 did. There's definitely a trend toward developers having more power.

jamespo 9y ago
That trend started further back than the last couple of years, as billg can confirm.
chii 9y ago
and yet, are those CEO's doing dev when they are being paid their large sums of money? They may have learnt something as a developer, but _doing_ development isn't their major money making activity.
- icebraining 9y ago
  jondubois said understand, not do.
FireBeyond 9y ago
Not to be contrary, but "citation"? This (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_companies_by_revenue https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_companies_by_r...) lists the 5 largest companies in the US as: 1. Walmart 2. Berkshire Hathaway 3. Apple 4. Exxon Mobil 5. McKesson Walmart's CEO, Doug McMillon, career at Walmart was in distribution and then buying before moving to the executive. Buffett had a background in business admin, economics and insurance. Tim Cook has that CS background. Daren Woods of Exxon Mobil has a degree in Electrical Engineering in the early 80s, which might be at best half a point. John Hammergren of McKesson has a pure business background, with a Bachelors and Masters in Business Administration.
- davidwparker 9y ago
  Depends on your definition of "largest company". Revenue is one metric. Market cap is another. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_public_corporations_by_market_capitalization#2017 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_public_corporations_by... 1. Apple 2. Alphabet 3. Microsoft 4. Amazon 5. Berkshire Hathaway
- sah2ed 9y ago
  I think the poster's metric was largest in terms of capitalization and not revenue. The top 5 in terms of capitalization: 1. Apple 2. Alphabet 3. Microsoft 4. Amazon 5. Berkshire Hathaway https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_public_corporations_by_market_capitalization#2017 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_public_corporations_by...
- microtherion 9y ago
  > Tim Cook has that CS background. Does he? He certainly has decades of experience in computer companies, but his educational background was, to my knowledge, in industrial engineering.

jamespo 9y ago

That trend started further back than the last couple of years, as billg can confirm.

chii 9y ago

and yet, are those CEO's doing dev when they are being paid their large sums of money? They may have learnt something as a developer, but _doing_ development isn't their major money making activity.

icebraining 9y ago
jondubois said understand, not do.

FireBeyond 9y ago

Not to be contrary, but "citation"? This (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_companies_by_revenue https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_companies_by_r...) lists the 5 largest companies in the US as: 1. Walmart 2. Berkshire Hathaway 3. Apple 4. Exxon Mobil 5. McKesson Walmart's CEO, Doug McMillon, career at Walmart was in distribution and then buying before moving to the executive. Buffett had a background in business admin, economics and insurance. Tim Cook has that CS background. Daren Woods of Exxon Mobil has a degree in Electrical Engineering in the early 80s, which might be at best half a point. John Hammergren of McKesson has a pure business background, with a Bachelors and Masters in Business Administration.

davidwparker 9y ago
Depends on your definition of "largest company". Revenue is one metric. Market cap is another. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_public_corporations_by_market_capitalization#2017 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_public_corporations_by... 1. Apple 2. Alphabet 3. Microsoft 4. Amazon 5. Berkshire Hathaway
sah2ed 9y ago
I think the poster's metric was largest in terms of capitalization and not revenue. The top 5 in terms of capitalization: 1. Apple 2. Alphabet 3. Microsoft 4. Amazon 5. Berkshire Hathaway https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_public_corporations_by_market_capitalization#2017 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_public_corporations_by...
microtherion 9y ago
> Tim Cook has that CS background. Does he? He certainly has decades of experience in computer companies, but his educational background was, to my knowledge, in industrial engineering.